Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Garlic

Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light magazine - Sept 2003 issue

Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients:

4 ounces goat cheese, softened

3 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

1 Tbsp minced garlic

4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 (25.5 ounce) jar Italian herb pasta sauce

3 whole garlic cloves

3 cups hot cooked fettuccine or spaghetti (or whatever type of pasta you prefer)

Directions:

Combine goat cheese, 2 Tbsp basil, and minced garlic.  Set aside.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each half to a 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.  Divide the cheese mixture evenly among breast halves.  Roll up jelly-roll fashion.  Tuck in sides; secure each roll with wooden picks or tie each roll with kitchen string.

Heat the pasta sauce and whole garlic cloves in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken.  Cover and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is done (using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 160 degrees).  Remove pan from heat.  Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes.  Remove picks or string, and slice chicken roll into medallions.  Serve chicken over bed of pasta.  Garnish with extra sauce and 1 Tbsp basil.